Walmart Beauty Box - Winter 2015

The last subscription box I received for 2015 will be my first review for 2016! I got my Walmart Beauty Box about 2 weeks ago so it's given me some time to try out a few of the products. The benefits of being lazy...

Walmart has a seasonal beauty subscription service. Once a quarter you will receive a box filled with sample products of beauty, hair, skin care, and more for only $7 (per box). If you'd like to check them out, head on over to https://beautybox.walmart.com/ (as always, I purchase this with my own money and all opinions are my honest ones).

For the samples I think I may have tried all but the cotton swabs. You may be thinking that all swabs are the same but they're aren't! I learned that the hard way once so I'll have to let you know how awesome or craptacular the Swisspers brand is.

Olay Regenerist Luminous Tone Perfecting moisturizer. Yeah, this is one of those products that you see results after 2 months of use. So a one time foil packet isn't really going to do shit. It did fell really really nice on the skin though so maybe I'll go buy some and test it out. Jennifer Aniston has a perfume (in this day, though, who the fuck doesn't?) and the sample in here smelled really nice. Like a soft combo of floral and a little sweet. I might actually want to find some! The Centrum Vitamints chewable vitamins were pretty cool. The consistency is like those old school butter mints (which I love) and the flavor is spearmint. I hate swallowing pills so any chance to get chewables works for me!

Pure Silk Raspberry Mist shave cream was unbelievably thick. I got way too much from just one little squirt (ooooh dirty). I didn't smell the raspberry scent but it was a nice cream. NSpa body butter in coconut scent (in this day, though, what ISN'T coconut scented?) feels nice but the smell is a little artificial coconut candle smell. I'll keep trying it out though. The Pantene hair spray smells awesome! I've only used it once or twice so I can't judge it's holding power.

The only sample in there I COULDN'T try were the color chips from Clairol. It's a pretty cool little package to look at all the colors you can get to dye your hair but I'm off hair coloring for now. Still a neat idea though. The L'Oreal True Match card had a bunch of stickers with their color range on them that you could put on your skin to find your perfect color. None of them really matched me (which is probably why I don't use it anymore) but I loved the idea of it!

I got coupons for all (except NSpa, Pure Silk, Pantene, and Swisspers) as well as one for Women's Rogaine, L'Oreal True Match makeup, and Covergirl eye makeup (Star Wars themed stuff - of which I already own a couple things..SHUT UP).

Even if I don't end up liking or using some of the products I get in this box, I really enjoy getting it each season. There's such a variety of products inside that there's bound to be SOMETHING everyone can enjoy. And for $7 every three months, that's not a bad thing!

Ipsy December 2015 Review

The final Ipsy bag for 2015. Is it really the end of the year? What the fuck?

Ipsy is a monthly beauty subscription service that delivers 4-5 samples (sometimes a full size product) of beauty, skin care, and hair products for $10 each month. I purchase this with my own money and all opinion are my own. Check them out at: http//www.ipsy.com

The card this month was basically a thank you to all the subscribers for making Ipsy awesome. So...that was kind of nice, actually. The bag is a bright cherry red plastic with a quilted pattern. Sort of hideous but it's red so I dig it.

The RickyCare beauty sponge: the original Beauty Blender is getting a serious run for it's money with all these dupes out there. I personally use the Real Techniques one (because I'm not paying $20 for a sponge - RT is only $6). But this one feels so nice. It's almost like micro suede! I think this is full sized, too. Cost is $10 (still a bit pricey but the feel of it might be worth it).

Marc Anthony Coconut Oil Conditioning Treatment: I've used several products from this line (the hair spray is my favorite) but the last deep conditioning treatment left my hair greasy and weighed down. The Coconut oil might be better but I'm leery. This trial size is about $1.

Elizabeth Mott Eye Primer: I've heard of this brand but never tried anything from it. When I put it on but didn't powder set it before I put on eyeshadow my makeup totally faded and creased within a couple of hours. However, powdering it before applying eyeshadow makes it work much better. This sample is about $6 but full size is $20. That's a little pricey.

Tarte Cosmetics Amazonian Clay Finishing Powder: Tarte is one of those high-end brands so I was stoked to get it in my bag this month. I have one eyeshadow palette from them that is a little disappointing but I had high hopes for this powder. And aside from the slight white cast is gives me, my skin does look smooth and pretty when I used it. This sample is 1/2 the regular size and is worth about $7.

Pacifica Power of Love Natural Lipstick: Though the color says Nudie Red it's definitely warmer than I like. I don't love the color but the product itself is not bad. Very creamy, feels great on my lips, and lasts a while. The smell is a little overpowering (all their stuff smells like coconut) but I don't mind it. This is full-sized and worth $10.

I'm happy about the sponge, the lipstick, and the face powder. Looks like the whole bag is worth about $34 so that's cool!

Universal Yums December 2015 Review

Trying to stay on schedule here so I'm happy to present my December Universal Yums review! UY is a monthly subscription service that ships a box of delicious snacks from a different country every month straight to your door. I buy the smaller box, $13 each month, but there is a $25 option available as well. http://www.universalyums.com/

This month's snacks come from the United Kingdom! The card that comes with each box was seriously upgraded for December. It's more like a booklet. I hope it's permanent!

The snacks I've tried so far: Tayto, cheese and onion chips (or crisps). Delicious! The Meanies are a puffy crisp snack (the texture is like an original Cheeto) that is supposed to be a pickled onion flavor. It's kind of weird. Tastes mostly like mustard to me. The Chewies are a currant flavored chewy candy - think Now n Later but a bit softer - that are awesome! The Treacle Toffees are good (look at the lower right corner of the box - the white label down there). They are actually kind of chewy but still sticky so I had to be careful of my dental work! Side note: my hubby's grandmother used to eat these all the time so there IS a candy he's eaten that I hadn't! (a rarity in this household).

I haven't tried the Clove Drops hard candy (though I'm super excited because clove is one of my favorite spices), Turkish Delight, Jammie Dodgers, or the Drumstick Chew Bar (which feels kind of hard so I probably won't be eating that lest I want my crowns to all pop off). But only because we have a lot of holiday treats around here that need to be consumed quickly!

I'm very happy with this month's box. The hint for next month leads me to believe the snacks will come from Turkey. SO EXCITE!

3B November 2015 Beauty Box

I believe I talked about a couple of the products I got in the October bag over in my PDs, MEHs, and GFYs post. But other than those couple of things, I can't remember what else I got. I think it was all skin care products but...

Oh, at this point who cares? Let's just get on with November! For those who don't know, 3B is a monthly beauty subscription service that sends 4-5 samples (sometimes full sized) products from Asia for $12 a month. Check them out for yourself: https://the3bbox.com/  (I purchase this service with my own money and all opinions are my honest ones)

Since this came a week or so ago, I've had time to try these products out for a bit.

The Ra & Gowoori is just a basic skin cream but with SPF of 50. It doesn't really whiten your skin. I love the feel of it though. It's thicker than what I normally use (Neutrogena) but it absorbs very quickly and I don't look greasy at all.
The bottles in the middle are a cleansing oil by Etude House (left) and toner by Secret Key (right). I always wanted to try a cleansing oil and so far, I'm diggin' it. It helps clean off makeup without drying your skin. The toner smells way too much like alcohol so all that moisture you're saving with the oil might be there to protect against the toner!
A'Pieu tea tree spot patches - I've only used them twice and I can't really tell if they work. I'll keep trying.
Ugh, the dreaded Hada Labo skin gel cream. But again, like I've said in the past, this sample size is working well. Something just gets lost in the translation (see what I did there?) to full size and it becomes useless. Well, I'll use this up then go to something else!

I can't find prices on these things (at least, not in English anywhere) but I'm pretty sure I got my money's worth this month!

PDs, GFYs, and MEHs - October/November 2015

Yep...another post where I whine about the months slipping past me at an accelerated rate and me powerless to stop it.

*shrugs*

Finally getting around to posting my thoughts on some truly great stuff, some not so great, and others that can take a running jump off a cliff. Let's get started, shall we?

PDs (Panty Droppers)

Let's start with the pictured stuff (make up and skin care) and then I'll talk about some food!

Essence Gel Eyeliner and Small Angled Brush: As I get older, the skin around my eyes gets more and more delicate (read: aged as fuck). Eyeliner pens, which are awesome and I do like them, get a little trickier to work with (read: pain in my ass). So gel liners are a great alternative. The one from Essence, in league with the little angled brush, are PERFECTION. The color is super black, it sets quickly, and it doesn't move one fucking inch all day. And I have really oily lids and a bit watery eyes. You can get this brand at Ulta Beauty and all Essence's products are pretty inexpensive!

L'Oreal Stylist Eyebrow Plumper:  Most of you who know me know I don't really have eyebrows. I mean, the hair is there but it's sparse, thin, and light in color. I've tried brow gels in the past but they are too gloppy and just goop all over the skin UNDER my brows. So I was a little dubious of this. But it works like a charm! The brush is tiny so it's easy to control and the product is just the right consistency. With a light hand, I can just build up those little hairs to the point where it looks like I have regular brows, not something drawn on. It's awesome! And once it sets, it doesn't move!

Pure Vanilla Roller ball Perfume from LaVanilla Lab: I've bitched about this company's lotion scent before (too heavy, very fake) but this perfume is wonderful. It's everything I want in a vanilla scent. I think I already talked about it in my last Ipsy double review but it's worth mentioning again. It's that good.

Makeup Revolution Blush Palette: I am super impressed with this brand. They are from Britain and until recently, we over on this side of the pond could only order their stuff on-line. Now Ulta is carrying part of their line. I got this blush palette, as well as a baked highlighter and some eye shadow, and I've got to say I'm in love. These blushes are so pigmented. I should have swatched them for you - maybe in another post (I might do a whole MR review). And now I've got 2 extra highlighters and they are gorgeous. Not super glittery - just a little shimmer - but they are awesome. 

Skin Food Rice Mask: I've had a lot of hit and miss with Korean skin care. If they work, they work perfectly. If they don't, they break me out so I look like a pineapple. No middle ground. Ugh. But this rice mask is fantastic! It's a thick unscented cream with little bits of rice (cooked, not raw - they don't want us to scrub our top layer of skin off!). You spread it on and rub it in for 10-15 minutes then rinse away. My arms get a bit tired at the 10 minute mark but my skin feels like it must have when I was born. I don't think any other scrub product has every made my skin feel so soft. I only use it once a week because I have a tendency to go overboard with stuff I like. I will definitely purchase more of this in the future.

Now for food awesomeness:

Peppermint Oreos: they are similar to the regular mint ones (that taste like Girl Scout Thin Mints). Peppermint is more of the flavor people associate with Christmas as it's in peppermint bark, cookies, I think candy canes are peppermint flavored, etc. GO GET SOME.

Chiobani Yogurt Flips: I get on my yogurt kicks every few months and these are great. Low fat flavored yogurt that comes with a little packet of bits you mix into the yogurt. The only one I haven't liked is the Peach yogurt with pistachios. I don't know why. Every other flavor has been great (Chocolate coconut, Peanut Butter Dream, Key Lime, Coffee Bliss....and more!). They're usually on sale at my grocery store so I'll grab 6 or 9 each time!

Now for the MEHs

Skin Food Honey Emulsion and Toner: Now here's an example of Korean skin care, from the same brand that I JUST raved about, that didn't work. It broke me out. The products themselves feel great and smell good. But my skin said no fucking way. But for those who don't break out easily, these might be really good.

Benefit Roller Lash: I want to say that somewhere Benefit claims this mascara creates volume and length while curling. It doesn't not. I don't have heavy thick lashes or ones that point straight down so the mascara curled my lashes extremely well! But when I compared it to other mascaras, they did just about the same thing. So I'd like to know if anyone with hard to curl lashes uses/tried this and what they think! For me it was just ok.

Physicians Formula Organic Wear Ultra Black Mascara (not pictured): I like a lot of PF's mascaras. This is the one that comes in the black packaging. It didn't really do anything spectacular for my lashes and it smudged a little bit. Might work great on someone else but just not for me.

Luxe Eyelash Essence: Got this from 3B in September. I've been using it most days (I forgot a couple of times) and it doesn't seem like anything is happening. Maybe it's a nice conditioner for lashes but it sure doesn't make them grow. Oh well.

And now for what is, honestly, my favorite part of these posts- the GFYs (Go Fuck Yourselves):

Looking at these pics I realize aside from one skin cream, it's all lip stuff. Huh.

Yu-Be Skin Cream: Ugh. Smells like straight up menthol. It doesn't feel nice on the skin either. Hopefully I'll never get another sample of this crap in my 3B bag.

Lipstick/Gloss Sample Foil Packets: What the fuck is this shit? First it's a crappy teeny sample of a lip product. Second it comes in a foil backed package that CANNOT be resealed. I had to monkey around with bobby pins to keep the foil from peeling and curling away and drying out the samples. You know, Avon used to make those mini lipstick tubes (do they still do that?) that probably contained the same amount of product in the above photo but were so much more consumer friendly. Get it together, make up companies. No one wants this bullshit.

NYX Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick: I was so excited for this. After the Colorpop matte lippie disaster earlier this fall, I'm eager to find comfortable matte lip products. Unfortunately, these are not it. I love NYX. I have a lot of lippies from them. But this dung in a tube is just awful. It dries to a sticky tacky layer, it goes on patchy as fuck, and it wears uneven. Terrible. Shitty. Awful. Useless.

Milani Amore Matte Lip Creme: If possible I think this stuff is worse than the NYX. Application is patchy, it's just about as dry as the Colorpop mattes (read: painful), and it wears off the inner part of the lips first (yes, you look like a blow up fuck doll). The dark purply-red color is gorgeous but the darker the color, the worse it looks. I could mess with it by putting a light pink lipstick over it and get this really cool blue duo-chrome effect but honestly, I don't like it enough to fuck with it that much. 

That's it. I'll try to get a quick post up at the end of the year. But since it's already December 7, don't hold your breath.

Ipsy October/November 2015 Reviews

Here's another double review for you! For those who don't know, Ipsy is a monthly beauty subscription service. For $10 you can 4-5 samples (sometimes deluxe sized, sometimes full) of beauty products. These can range from make up to skin care to hair products. Check them out!  (as always, I purchase this service with my own money and all opinions are my honest ones).  https://www.ipsy.com/

Let's start with October!

The theme for October was Alter Ego (whatever). Not that crazy about the bag. It looks like gold lame on the one side and black S&M vinyl on the back. 5 products came this month but I used some points to cash in on two extras.

Emite Slanted Tweezers: What needs to be said? They're tweezers. I actually needed a pair so it worked out for me but really, ipsy? Tweezers? Looking up this brand on-line, they are Swedish so I had to do a bit of conversion to get a value (read: Googled it). Apparently 200 Krona is about $22. FOR FUCKING TWEEZERS?!?

The Balm Meet Matt(e) Hughes Lipstick: (middle swatch) I've never tried the Balm lip products before and this shit is for real. Extremely long lasting (I ate a meal and some snacks and this stuff still stayed on), smells nice and minty, and it NOT drying at all. It does get really sticky as it dries down but the color doesn't peel or pull off. Does that make sense? Though I'm not crazy about the color - it's a little too warm for me - I'd be willing to spend $17 on a full size. This sample goes for around $3.50

Mica Beauty Cream Eyeshadow: (right swatch) I think I have other stuff from Mica. This cream shadow is a gorgeous gold/bronze shade (though this color is getting very tiresome from Ipsy). It's very pigmented and swatches nicely. Not patchy. I have no idea how it looks on the eyes because I can barely remove it from the back of my hand after 30 minutes of scrubbing with a makeup wipe. I'll need to get an oil based removed to see if that helps. Otherwise, I may never wear it, which would be a shame because it is pretty. It's an exclusive product for Ipsy so I couldn't find it on their site. Their regular mineral eye shadows are a similar weight and got for $15.

Lavanilla Laboratories Pure Vanilla Rollerball: I've reviews a lotion from these folks before and I didn't like the scent. It was way too heavy and artificial. That said, this roller ball perfume is everything I want in a vanilla scent! It's perfection in a tiny bottle! This mini size goes fro $12. I might consider purchasing the larger size at $19 (it's double the amount of the mini) but since I don't go through perfume all that fast I'd have to think on it. 

Ayres Hand Cream: I have a few other hand creams to work through so I haven't opened this one yet. The full size goes for $12.50 (1.4 ounces) so this .7 ounce bottle is about $6.25.

So this whole bag's value goes for almost $59. I'd say that's a steal, even if $22 of it goes for fucking tweezers. Lame.

The extras I got are:

Pixi Eyebrow Trio: It's a little baby palette of powders for brows. The highlight shade didn't swatch at all. The two brown shades take a lot of back and forth to get the damn color to show up. So if you want just a hint of color in your brows, something soft, this could work. But the pigmentation is so shitty I'm not sure it's even worth it. Definitely not worth $6 and not worth the points I wasted on it.

Befine Cucumber Mask: I can't even remember if I've tried this yet. I want to say yes because I wanted to know if the cucumber smell was crazy. And I don't believe it was. Full size (4 ouces) goes for $25 so this 1 ounce sample is about $6.

WHEW! Now let's get on to November!

Theme is Beauty Blast. Who knows? The bag is totally cute and colorful though the materials is similar to a vinyl pool toy. But I'm already over it.

Pantene Blowout Extend Dry Shampoo: I haven't tried this one yet as I have another can of Batiste to work through. But I'm a little nervous. My stylist (current and ones in the past) have warned me off Pantene shampoo products before so I'm not too eager to crack this baby open. Full size goes for $5-7 so this sample is probably around $2.

Tre'Stique Mini Matte Lip Crayon: I got the color Chili Red and I first I thought it was an obnoxious bright cherry color but it's a little deeper on my lips. It's definitely got a blue base so it works out for my skin tone. It feels like nothing is on your lips. Not drying at all and it lasts forever! I forgot I had the stuff on and it lasted through most of the day which included eating at least one meal and some snacks. I can't find the matte crayon alone (it's only paired with a gloss stick) and goes for $28. BUT you can purchase 3 mini crayons for $25 so I'd put this one mini's value at around $8.

Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara: I don't normally buy a lot of high-end makeup. But if something is really good, I seriously consider it. I got a sample of this and while I don't agree it adds volume at all, it does a beautiful job of separating and lengthening my lashes beautifully! I think it's the natural bristle brush - those are my favorite. Not sure if I'd spend $20 on a full size though. I don't know how much is in a full size but I'm guessing this sample of 3 ml is product 1/4 of a regular tube so figure on $5 value.

Absolute NY Nano Liner: I do love a good liquid liner pen. Though they have a tendency to dry out faster than the brush/bottle combos, they are a bit easier to use. I've only swatched this on my hand but it went on smoothly and you can make the line thin or thick. I believe this is full size which goes for $10.

Jelly Pong Pong Liquid Gossamer: I've heard of this brand but never tried it before. This is a liquid/cream product that you're supposed to use all over your face for a luminous look. I can't do that because my pores are as big as New Jersey so this kind of product just accentuates that. HOWEVER, it would make an awesome highlight and I'm kind of addicted to highlighters right now. The color is a gorgeous rose champagne and it doesn't look like there's a lot of chunky glitter in it. I don't mind a little but too much or too big comes off like little kid makeup. This is a full size tube and it goes for $23.

Overall I'm super happy with this month. It's value is probably just under $50 so even though last month seemed to have more value, I like the products in November's bag much better!

Universal Yums October/November 2015

Let's take a two country tour this month, shall we? As I stated in my Morgue Drawer post, October got away from me so we're going to need to combine some monthly reviews here!

Universal Yums, for those who may not know, is a monthly subscription service that sends you snack foods from around the world! Each month is a different county. You can either sign up for the Yum Box ($13) or the Yum Yum Box ($25). Check them out for yourselves!  http://www.universalyums.com/  (I purchase this service with my own money and all reviews are my honest opinions and not bought and paid for. I'm not as shill.)

October 2015 - The Netherlands

So much good stuff...We haven't eaten all of the goodies yet. And when I say 'we' I mean 'me'. I've tried everything but the stroopwaffel wafers that you're supposed to put on top of a cup of steaming hot joe and let the heat warm up the creamy center. The Meller caramel candies taste a lot like Milk Duds but with a fudgy center. The windmill cookies were dry and rather tasteless; the coffee hopjes are excellent; the Advocat chews tasted like sweet cream (nice); two mints - King and Princess were pretty basic mints though I liked the princess ones a little better; the paprika chips were the first to go. They tasted like basic potato chips to me but not as greasy as what you normally find here. 

I'm trying the raspberry wineballs now and it seems like they have the same center as a Zot . The flavor is sour and sweet with that fizzy middle seeping out. Kinda cool. The one thing I haven't tried yet is the Licorice Balls because I believe there's salt in the center. Yep, you read that right. Salt. I'm scared...

(as I'm editing this review I'm sucking on a licorice ball. The outside is actually savory, not sweet at all. And the salt center....AAAGGGH! UGH! *cough* *sputter* Throw it in the trash...)

This seemed like an average box. I happy with most of the stuff in here!

And on to November 2015 - South Korea

WOO! Anyone who knows me knows how addicted I am to Korean Dramas and Korean culture. And now I'm getting more into K-Pop...but that's neither here nor there! Here's the box.

I've tried all but one item from this box. The Choco wafers are ok. Like those sugar wafers with the cream center you can get here. Maybe these are a little drier but the flavor is nice. The Milk Strawberry candy is great. Tastes like a strawberry milkshake! The Plum Candy is also excellent. Very good flavor. Almond Pepero is basically Pocky with chocolate and almond coating. Yummy! The soft walnut candy is fantastic! Tastes like a sweetened walnut but chewy instead of crunchy. So  good! I was really excited for the Choco Pie because I've seen it pop up in a few Korean dramas. It's basically like a moon pie but smaller (which is fine) and much drier (not fine). I was a little disappointed. I haven't had the Tiramisu Cupcake yet but it looks wonderful.

The only other thing I tried were the Peanut Squid Balls. Yes...they love their squid over in Asia and apparently peanuts and squid are a popular combination. The description calls it a 'palatable squid aftertaste' and that's about as accurate as you can be. The balls are crispy and the peanut in the center is basically a peanut. There's a soft filling surrounding the peanut but I don't know if that's where the squid taste come in or if it's in the balls (oy, this post is getting dirty). It is a very subtle after taste but I just don't get the combo here. I think it's off putting, even though it's mild. I think without the peanut it would be fine or leave out the squid and the peanut flavor is fine. Just...not together.

This was an okay box. Some of the snacks were great and others were just so so. I still love this idea of snack food from across the globe so I'm gonna stick with it for a while!

November 2015 Morgue Drawer - PART II

...pation.

All righty. Here we go with Part II of my Morgue Drawer clean up. Let us begin with hair.

Dove Dry Spray Deodorant: (I totally forgot I put this product in with this group so yeah, technically it's not for the hair...unless you don't shave your pits. Then it could count. Anyway, moving on...) I guess this product worked okay but the smell was so over powering. I'd spray it on and then have to leave my room for about 10 minutes until the spray dissipated. Won't be purchasing again.

Batiste Dry Shampoo Cherry Scent: I adore the formula of Batiste. I don't feel like I have to spray half the can to get results. The smell of cherry is not very strong but the general perfumey scent is very strong. Much like the Dove deodorant. I've since purchased another scent, which isn't nearly as bad, so I'm going to stick with this brand for a while!

Psssst! Dry Shampoo: I think there's more propellant than dry shampoo in this. So basically my head felt frozen by the time I got any product out. I used up this can in just a few applications. LAME.

Not Your Mother's Dry Shampoo: I talked about this in a PD, GFY post. TERRIBLE! USELESS! DISAPPOINTING! Do not purchase.

L'Oreal Repair Shampoo/Conditioner: My hair did look less frizzy and dry after using these. So I purchased the full sized bottles. Just waiting to get through them so I can move on and try something else. They're not great but they do smell nice and seem to work a little bit.

Marc Antony Macadamia Oil Conditioning Treatment: I didn't really notice a difference in my hair after using this. Smells awesome but I probably won't buy it again.

Moving on to makeup removers/cleansers:

Olay Regenerist Cream Cleanser: This was a great exfoliating cleanser. Just the right amount of scrubbies to exfoliate but not shred the face. Unfortunately, this is one of those micro bead exfoliators so the little bits are now clogging up the water works and NOT disintegrating. So I decided not to repurchase. *le sigh*

Etude House Baking Powder Cleanser: Now here's a product that a nice exfoliator (not quite as much scrubby going on as Olay but still pretty good) and it's natural so the powder won't clog up Mother Nature. The smell was fanstastic - very citrusy! Since it's a Korean product, I might have to do a little digging to purchase the full size!

Pacifica Make Up Wipes: UGH. Terrible product! Whatever the cleaning agent is on these burns like a mother fucker. The cloths were very rough and they didn't do that great of a job removing make up. The coconut smell was way too strong. Awful.

Derma E Hydrating Facial Wipes: All Lies! These wipes were so dry. They were terrible! 

Target Up & Up Make Up Wipes: These were pretty good. Did a good job of removing make up (just not eye make up that well), the cloths were soft, and the smell was nice. Burned if I used them to remove eye make up, though. Not sure if I'll get these again.

And finally, MAKE UP!!

Benefit They're Real Mascara: Why, oh why, did this have to be good? Benefit is one of the more expensive brands of makeup so I have a hard time justifying paying $24 for just mascara. But this stuff did work really well. My lashes looked beautiful!. Dammit, Benefit!

Soft Lips Balm Cube: Blech. The scent and flavor are nice but the balm itself is awful. It's one of those where the more you use it, the dryer you lips feel. I know it doesn't make any sense. It's possible it has SPF in it, which is usually drying, or it could just suck ass. Didn't work for me. Couldn't even finish it.

Revo Lip Balm: Revo was kind of similar to SoftLips. The textures were different (Revo felt more waxy) and again, scent and flavor were nice. But my lips never really felt moisturized at all. Won't repurchase.

Rose MIne Lip Balm: I got this in a Meme box AGES ago. It took forever to work my way through the tube but that's just a statement to its greatness. It lasted on the lips for quite a while and was completely moisturizing. It had the look and feel similar to those silicone face primers. Sounds weird, I know, but it was awesome.

Y.E.T. Lip and Cheek Color: I loved this stuff. Smelled great and was such a soft pretty peach color that worked on both the lips and cheeks. Normally I don't like those combo things because they're usually not good for either. But this was nice. Unfortunately, it started to dry out and left my lips feeling gross so I had to toss it. *sad trombone*

Dear Berry Blusher: I loved this cream blush. Shaped like a little scoop of ice cream, it was a fantastic soft pink color that blended beautifully. Unfortunately, I couldn't use it up fast enough and it started to dry out. *chorus of sad trombones*

Benefit Porefessional Face Primer: Okay I think I finally figured out that this product DID break me out a little bit. No worries, though. I have other primers that work just as well that don't make my face look like a pizza.

Revlon Colorstay Concealer: This is a nice heavy concealer. It also has a bit of color correction for my purple bits under the eyes. Mostly I use it for zit concealment because the heavier creamy products get into the fine lines under my eyes and look icky. This tube got kinda old so I just bought a replacement - with the doe foot applicator instead of the twisty tube. Much better.

Catrice Eyeliner Pen: TERRIBLE! I talked about this in a PD, GFY post and it's just awful. Smudges like a mo-fo and transfers easily but near impossible to remove when you want to. So lame.

Essence Gel Liner: This stuff is great! It's super black, stays forever, doesn't smudge or transfer, but you can remove it easily. I had to buy another pot because this one dried out.

Wet & Wild Mega Liner: A great liquid liner. I tried out a whole shit ton of liquid liners and I ended up going back to this. I've repurchased already. This stuff does NOT budge and the teeny bottle lasts a long time. 

ELF Makeup Setting Spray: I love this stuff. Does a great job of setting my makeup and helping it to last just a little bit longer. Nothing lasts forever but this does extend the wear of my makeup! Already repurchased.

Whew! I think that covers it. Maybe I'll go through my drawer a little more often so I don't have to write such long posts. But I'm a lazy asshole so don't count on it.

Until next time, my lovelies!

November 2015 Morgue Drawer - PART I

Holy shitballs but October went by fast! Totally got away from me. I'm so very far behind on blog posts and reviews. Sorry about that! But now that the hubby's busy season is over (and he doesn't need my help until next year) and Halloween has come and gone, and all the GLAHW activities have calmed the fuck down for a while, I can get back to a more normal blogging schedule!

I'll post my Ipsy, 3B, and Universal Yums soon but for now, I have an overflowing Morgue Drawer that needs cleansing and sanitation. STAT! This will be broken up into two parts because seriously, who the hell wants to read this kind of stuff for hours at a time? So I'll do my best to get through this as quickly as possible!

First up is the short list of random stuff!

Bath and Body Works Foaming Hand Wash Ghoul Friend: I don't really have any deep feelings about foaming hand wash except it's kind of fun to use. BBW had a Halloween themed line of scents and this is one of 3 or 4 that I purchased. The strawberry and peony scents meld very well in this product. I loved it! Kinda sad when we finished it off. *le sigh*

Bath and Body Works Lavender Honey Shower Gel: The gel itself is very nice. Not drying. The scent leaves a lot to be desired though. I got a lot of honey off of it but not so much the lavender. Will not purchase again.

Dove Advanced Care Solid Deodorant: I thought it was good at first but the more I used it, the less it worked. Which is weird. Their 48 hour claim is pretty much horse shit.

Sensodyne Pronamel Gentle Whitening Toothpaste: The Sensodyne brand is awesome at relieving sensitivity in your choppers. The gentle whitening is a bit too gentle because I didn't notice any whitening going on at all. So I'll step up to their next level and let you know how it goes. But again, for sensitivity, this stuff is great.

Now for body and face lotions.

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel: I talked about this in a PD, GFY post a while back. Finally used up this little tube. This product is fantastic. Smells great and really works at locking in moisture overnight. My skin felt great every morning after I used this. I hope that when I get the full size it works as well. I've been set up with samples before that are disappointing in full size. I'll let you know.

Hada Labo Gel: This is what I'm talking about. The sample of this was so good that the hubby commented the next morning on how great my skin looked. The full size was total shit. I had to use a huge amount or my face felt tight and dry the next morning. And I'm pretty sure this stuff made me break out a little. I didn't even finish the jar. I just couldn't take it anymore. LAME.

H2O Deep Sleep Recovery Cream: I didn't notice any difference in my skin after using this. Disappointing.

Eco Beauty Night Cream: I liked the face wash from this brand that I got from Ipsy a while back. So imagine my disappointment when this face cream didn't turn out to be anything special. It didn't smell as good as the cleanser, either. This brand is pretty pricey, too, so I won't be purchasing a full size.

Baume D'Amour Lotion: This is weird shit. It smells great when you first put it on. Eventually, though, you smell like a plastics factory. Also, after an hour, it's still tacky on the skin. So....no.

L'Occitane Milk Concentrate Lotion: The smell is okay but it does feel really nice on the skin.

Nivea Extended Moisture: I don't have super dry skin but I got this sample in my Walmart beauty box (I think) so why not try it anyway? This stuff is no bullshit. After two days, my skin felt awesome! I just had enough to put on my legs but that was enough for a test. If I didn't have to take a shower, I bet my skin would have felt wonderful even beyond the 48 hours. 

And finally the face masks/serums!

Burts Bees Renewal Intensive Firming Serum: I really like this stuff. I don't know how much it firms but my skin feels great when I use this serum. I started using it morning and night because it's so lightweight and I only use a couple drops. It smells and feels nice. I've already repurchased.

Murad Rapid Collagen Infusion: Made no difference in my skin whatsoever.

Philosophy Serum: Made no difference in my skin whatsoever.

Montagne Jeunesse Masks: the Green Tea peel off smelled the most artificial. Did not like it. The Anti Stress was all right. Smelled okay. The Black Seaweed is the 3rd or 4th one I've used. I love this peel off mask. Smells kinda funky but I can get past it when my skin feels as soft as an android's bottom after using it.

Pure Source Bamboo Sheet Mask: I LOVED THIS MASK! Got it in my 3B and held on to it for as long as possible. It was the only sheet mask I had in my arsenal so I'm very sad it's gone. I may splurge and buy a few of these (I think I talked about it in my 3B review - that it's a little pricey for a sheet mask but it's worth it).

And so concludes Part I of my Morgue Drawer. I hope you enjoyed it! Part II will be out next week sometime. So tremble in antici.....

3B September 2015 Beauty Box

Another beauty subscription I get is 3B: Beauty Beyond Borders. It's all Asian beauty products (mostly Korean) and goes for $12 per month. You get 4-5 sample/full sized items that aren't so east to come by in the US. But it's a great way to try them out and then if you fall in love, you can find them on-line! (I know 3B is working on a store front of their own which makes shopping for these things SO much easier) 

https://the3bbox.com/

I haven't tried the Leaders Mediu Snail Therapy hand cream yet (apparently snail essence is the latest trend in skin care...eww) as I have a couple others I need to work through first. But this looks full size, which runs around $8.

I've tried the Secret Key Honey Bee's spot control and yeah, that shit works. I worry its mostly alcohol (because that's what it smells like) but it dried up a giant zit I had within 36 hours. This is also full size, I think, and that costs anywhere between $10-$22 (depending on where you purchase it).

I've been using the RiRe Luxe Lash Essence for 3-4 days so I can't really tell if it's doing anything yet. You put it on at night and I guess it works its magic then. It's a clear fluid but it dries kind of sticky and hard, like a gel would. So if you don't like that, you probably won't like this. It's full size and goes for $16.

The Yu-Be skin scream smells like straight up menthol. Ugh. I'd heard a lot of great things about this product so you can imagine my disappointment. Because who the hell wants to walk around smelling like Halls or VapoRub? It does feel nice on the skin, though! Could make a nice stimulating foot cream so I'll let you know. This is definitely a small sample but the full size runs $16.

Overall I'm really happy with this month!

Walmart Beauty Box Fall 2015

For those who may not know, Walmart has a beauty subscription service four times a year (that's once a quarter for those of you playing at home). It's only $5 per box and you get so much stuff. Mostly sample sized, one to two full sized goodies, and a bunch of coupons. Check them out to get your own. https://beautybox.walmart.com/

Look at all this stuff! I've already tried a few of the products. The Dove deodorant is actually really nice. It's not an invisible solid or anything but it's so soft and works pretty well. So it's good to know I have a back up in case Secret goes out of business or it's unavailable for any reason at the store. That little bottle with the green juice is ACT mouth rinse. I like this brand a lot and this is the kind without alcohol so I can use it without burning off the surface skin cells of my mouth. I also tried the Crest Professional Polish 3D white 2-step sample. First, it's not enough to really get an idea if your teeth are any whiter (I got 2 uses out of it). Second, that's just too much work for a product that tastes terrible and burns a little bit.

I have not tried the Curel lotion, John Frieda hair conditioning treatment, or the Nivea lotion. The razor is a full sized product. I got laser hair removal a few years back but I do get a handful of stray hairs that grow unencumbered. I still need to shave from time to time so this was a cool product. But can we take a moment to appreciate the Roc Retinol serum? That shit will cost you $16 at Walmart and upward of $20+ at other drug stores. So DAYUM!

There are a bunch of coupons as well so this box, like all the others I've received, is worth every penny of $5!

PDs, GFYs, and MEHs - September 2015 Edition

Well, August kind of got away from me so I'll be combining it with September for this list of Panty Droppers, Go Fuck Yourselves, and Mehs. 

First, let's get to the good stuff. (I didn't take pics of everything in each category - just the stuff that was close at hand!)

For my beauty PD products, I've got these three pictured above. Almay Smart Shade CC cream, the Rimmel Fix & Perfect face primer, and the Neutrogena Hydro gel. I love the CC cream because it's a nice shade match for me and it's not heavy or full coverage (which I prefer). I do feel like my natural oiliness comes through but I don't look greasy, does that make sense? The Rimmel primer is awesome. It looks and feels like a light lotion but it really sinks into the skin and it doesn't feel like I'm wearing anything (on my face, pervs). The Hydro gel was a sample and it smelled awesome! It worked really well, too, so I'm hoping when I get the full size, it won't disappoint me like the Hada Labo gel did.

For food, I've got two things for you:

Annie's Cheddar Bunnies and Animal Crackers. I've only tried the snack products from this company. The extra cheesy cheddar bunnies are better than the regular and the animal crackers are wonderful. They kind of taste like the original animal crackers we all grew up on (us old people, anyway) but they are much more dense. I believe all of their products are natural, possibly organic (don't quote me) and their business practices aim for social responsibility. I've found these at Target, Meijers, and Value Center. You've got to try some! www.annies.com

Oreo Pumpkin Spice: I know, I know. Everything is turning up pumpkin spice right now because Fall. I, personally, am not a freak about it. I don't run out and get anything and everything in this scent or flavor (most pumpkin candles make me barf and I don't need my coffee to taste like a gourd). HOWEVER, Oreos are some of my favorite cookies and when I saw these, I had to try them. I believe they came out last year but the are limited edition each fall. AND THEY ARE AMAZEBALLS! If you like pumpkin pie, you'll like these.

The last thing is not a product but a technique. I'm probably the last one to jump on this bandwagon but from watching Emily Noel on YouTube (emilynoel83), I discovered how awesome it is to apply cream blush with a stippling brush. It makes it so much easier to blend out the product that you just can't get with your fingers. Who knew? (everyone besides me, I'm sure)

Now for the Go Fuck Yourselves:

Beauty and Hair was all about the uselessness these past months. For hair: the Not Your Mother's Dry Shampoo (good thing because I hate to think your mom sucks ass) and the Ulta brand Smooth and Protect shampoo/conditioner. I've tried multiple brands of dry shampoo. I love Batiste but the smell can be cloying so I wanted to see if I could find something just as good. Nooooope. NYM's dry shampoo was completely useless, unless I sprayed on half a can which mostly went straight to my lungs. The Ulta shampoo and conditioner did nothing to smooth or protect my hair. It dried it out even more and if I were transformed into a muppet, I'd be the frizz monster who lives with the dust bunnies and spare change under your couch.

The makeup that seriously disappointed me was the Catrice liquid eyeliner and Colour Pop's ultra matte liquid lipstick. I wanted to try the Catrice brand because Keerstin on YouTube (ItsKeerstin) talked about it a lot. Before Ulta brought it into their stores/on-line, you could only get in Europe. So I was excited to try a few things once they got stateside. This eyeliner was terrible. It took forever to dry and even if I DIDN'T open my eyes, or move or breathe in any way, it still smudged. Which is interesting because when I tried to take it off, it was near impossible! What the fuck, Catrice?

The ColourPop matte liquid lipsticks make me mad. I love the brand (I have several lippie stix, blushes, and highlighters that I love) so when these mattes came out, I was super excited. Now I just want to punch someone. The colors are nice but the formula is so drying as to be painful. They set within seconds so don't fuck up. And if it looks patchy, too fucking bad because if you put on a second layer, it clumps together or just wipes off the original application. Then when you WANT to take them off, you basically need a jackhammer and some napalm. They. Are. Awful. I want to apologize to my friend, MontiLee, for giving her the pink color I ordered (it didn't look right on me but I thought she might enjoy it). I'm so so so sorry.

And finally, the MEHs.

I think most of my Meh's work well for other people but just not for me. Which is why they are just okay.

Three primers I tried: Benefit's Porefessional; Smashbox Photo Finish; and Catrice Prime & Fine. I'm pretty sure the Porefessional and Prime & Fine broke me out (gods dammit, Catrice!). The Smashbox is a silicone primer and with my oily skin, it doesn't work. It also balls up when I put the Almay CC over it so...no.

The Maybelline Lash sensational mascara (in the pink tube) was just so wet and gloppy. Most people say to just give it time to dry out a bit, but mine never got there. I'll work with shadows and maybe blushes but not mascara. That's one thing that needs to work as is straight out of the tube.

I also got a body wash from Bath & Body Works in a Honey Lavender scent. It's a good shower gel but the scent leaves a lot to be desired. I don't get much lavender from it and the honey smells weird. I've only got a little bit left so once that's done I'm getting back to my Jasmine Vanilla!!

That's it for this edition. Hopefully I'll get back to monthly reviews on this stuff! But let's not count on that just yet. Busy season at the hubby's store is in full swing and I help out when he needs me. I may not be back until November...

Universal Yums September 2015 Review

Our Universal Yums box came a few weeks ago but I'm glad I waited to review. It gave both the hubby and me a chance to taste some of the items in there which gives me a better idea of what's good or not. If you don't know, Universal Yums is a subscription service that sends you either 6+ snacks or 13+ snacks from a different country each month ($13 or $25). If you like to eat food from different countries, check them out at: www.universalyums.com

September brings us snacks from Columbia! I think I was able to try most of the snacks. Let's get into it.

That is a shit ton of food, people! There are three bags of salty snacks. The Bacon-lime ones, which sounds like a weird combo, are DIVINE. The sweet plantains are awesome. The cheesy 'marble' ones suck major donkey dick. Tasted like cardboard. Even the dog didn't want one. The chewy coffee candies were fantastic! Soft but not sticky, unlike the coconut caramel things (green wrappers). The flavor on those were nice but I only nibbled a little piece because it was sticky like a Sugar Daddy and I didn't want to loose my expensive dental work!

I'm excited to try the chocolate spread which they recommend to eat with a spoon. There's also a sugar wafer cookie covered in chocolate that has me VERY excited. Oh, I almost forgot about the suckers. One is passionfruit and the other is watermelon. So they should be awesome.

That's a lot of food for $13. And we still have snacks from the other two boxes we've received! So far I'm highly recommending this service!

September 2015 Ipsy Bag Review

Okay. Finally getting to my September Ipsy bag review. For those of you who may not know, Ipsy is a monthly beauty subscription service that sends you samples (and full size from time to time) for $10 a month. Check them out for yourself at www.ipsy.com

I think I feel a cold coming on so I'd better get all my reviews in over the next couple of days or it'll be ANOTHER few weeks before I return! As always, these are my honest opinions.

Looking at the card, it seems the theme is Face Fashion (could have something Fall related on the back but honestly, I don't give a fuck). I didn't take any sneak peaks this month so I had no idea what was coming, not even the bag which I think it nice this time around. At first glance it looks pretty sweet, right? That's MOSTLY true. Let's get into it.

Trust Fund Nail Polish: never heard of this brand but from first look, and a quick swatchy-swatch on my pinkie nail, it's really pretty. It's a nice medium periwinkle color with a bit more purple to it. It does take 2 coats to get complete coverage but I like it! I believe it's full sized, too. It's called Elegantly Wasted (awesome) and goes for $15!  http://trustfundbeauty.com/collections/all-polish

Not Radio Soap Liquid Freud Lotion: Nice little sample size of this lotion but the smell is rather odd. The coconut comes off immediately but then it turns into this weird amalgamation of mango and vanilla and strangeness. It feels nice on the skin, though. Full size (12.6 ounces) goes for $18 and this is just over 1 ounce so count it as $1?        http://notsoapradio.com/Liquid-Freud-HandBody-Lotion_p_91.html

City Color Mascara Be Bold Mascara: I have some HD loose powder from City Color and I love it. So I'm excited to try this mascara. Lord knows I have a handful of unopened ones so it'll be a minute before I get to this. I think it's full sized, too, so it runs around $6.  http://citycolorcosmetics.com/eyes/mascara/be-bold-mascara/#.VgGAa99VhBd

NYX Eyeshadow Trio: I think this was specifically made for the Ipsy bag because I can't find the color combo anywhere. And there's no color name, just IPSYNYX01. So there you go. As you can see from the first pic, the shadows are not very pigmented. They're also a bit chalky. However, you can build up the color a bit if you want to work with them. They might pop better if you use them wet or over a bright base (like NYX jumbo pencil in Milk). I must say, though, the color stayed on for a long long time. They didn't melt together after a few hours (I'm looking at you, Too Faced) which seriously impressed me. For $6, it's not so bad.

JCat Beatuy #MOTD Slide On Eyeliner in Bronze: I've used JCat products before and they can be hit or miss. Though this pencil says the color is Bronze, it's more of a dark brown with a copper shift. It actually paired nicely with the NYX eye shadow above. It is waterproof so heaven help you getting it off. Which means it does have a lot of staying power, even in the waterline! I have very oily lids and my eyes water a bit so anything that goes on the tightline or waterline is GONE within 30 minutes. There was actually product still on both after wearing it for a good 6 hours. That is impressive. It's got the same staying power (for me) as Urban Decay's 24/7 liners. And for $4 (compared to UD's $20) this is a steal.  http://jcatbeauty.com/eyes-2/motd-slide-on-pencil-for-eyes

That's it for September. This month was all right. Rather average compared to all that I've received so far. But for an approximate value of $32, I'm not mad at it.

AUGUST 3B Subscription Review

3B is a monthly beauty subscription service. For $12 a month, you receive 4-5 deluxe samples or full-sized beauty products from Asia. I purchase this with my own money and all thoughts and reviews are my honest opinion. Check them out for yourselves at www.3bbox.com

This month brought me an eye cream (ugh, why do they come in such HUGE tubes? I’ll never work through this whole thing); sheet mask (which I love); a mascara (the products card said it was supposed to be some kind of lash serum but that was a mistake); and a lip stain. 

I’ve already got a few open mascaras so it’ll be a bit before I crack this one open. But I do love to try new mascaras! This one I got is worth approximately $13.

I’m going to try and save the sheet mask as along as possible. It’s the only one I’ve got right now. This will run you about $2.

I’m using another eye cream now (as always because even the samples I get take FOREVER to work through - #firstworldproblems, I know) so again, it’ll be a while before I open this one. It’s value is either $5 or $20, depending on which site you find it.

I did open the lip stain and test it out. This is a sample (full size goes for $5) so I’m guessing this is about $2. First, the package is adorable. The top is heart shaped (adorbs) and the color of the stain is gorgeous. 

Top Pic: Left swatch is one swipe of fresh color and the right is 2-3 swipes. Bottom Pic: Stains after I wiped off the wet product. Now the swatches were only on my hand for about 30 seconds so believe me when I say this shit STAINS. They were both still there the next day! On the lips the stain wears off a bit faster (eating and drinking and talking and...whatever floats your boat-ing) but lasted a full day. This would be a great product for a convention or costume event. Doesn’t dry out the lips so you can keep putting a balm or gloss over the stain without it moving. Brilliant! The product is very watery so it’s a little difficult to work with and seriously, don’t fuck up the application because you don’t want to end up looking like you have mouth herpes.

This bag could be worth $22 or $37, depending on the true value of the eye cream.  I’m pretty happy either way!

UNIVERSAL YUMS - August Review

Yes, I'm going to talk about ANOTHER monthly subscription box. But this time it's not makeup. It's FOOD! I tried Japan Crate a year or so ago. And while the candies I received were pretty tasty, the boxes themselves were very inconsistent. Eventually someone else took it over and it got better but by then I was done with the uncertainty and $25 price tag.

A little research later and I stumbled across Universal Yums. This is a monthly subscription box where each month features snacks from a different country. How cool is that? You can get the Yum Box (6 or more snacks) for $13 or the Yum Yum Box (13 or more snacks) for $25. We started last month, which coincidentally contained Japanese snacks, but I wanted to get through one before reviewing it. 

It was awesome!

Each box comes with a card that describes all the snacks, has trivia about the current month's featured country, and a little hint as to what will be coming next month. So damn cool.

If you'd like to check them out, head over to www.universalyums.com and take a peek. As usual, I purchase this box with my own money and all opinions and thoughts are my own.

The box comes so neatly packaged before the hubby and I tear into it to find out what snacks we get to devour. The card is a nice semi-gloss sturdy card stock and it opens like a greeting card. Printing on every side (the product descriptions are inside and the hint is on the back - we think it might be somewhere in South America or maybe Turkey for next month). It really looks like the people in charge took their time and paid great attention to detail. Very nice!

Look at all those goodies! The two biggest bags are super spicy savory snacks. I'm leaving those to the hubby - maybe sneak one of each just to say I tried it. But really hot stuff is not my forte. The green and purple pouches are gummies. I've tried a green one and even it's spicy! Tasted good, though. The Mango Creme cookies were meh. They tasted really artificial (did you know that mangos are like a national fruit of India and different regions are SUPER SNOBBY about their mangoes? Well, now you do.) The hard candies are mango flavored and delicious.

But the best so far are the Smarties. They are not like American smarties. These are candy coated chocolates - India's version of the M&M. But only the orange colored ones are flavored - with orange. If you like those Terry chocolate orange things (you know what I'm talking about) you will really like these!

For $13, I think we got our money's worth. I'm excited to find out what each month will bring!

August Morgue Drawer Part II - Hair and Makeup

All righty. Ready for Part 2 of my Morgue Drawer reviews? Hold on to your panties because it’s hair and makeup time! 

First up: Hair

DevaCurl Shampoo and Conditioner: This came in a three pack with styling gel but I’m still trying that out. Step 1 is No-Poo Zero Lather hair cleanser and Step 2 is Hydrate Ultra Creamy conditioner. Meh. The no-poo cleanser smelled like poo (so I’m dubious of the name) but the conditioner smelled nice. Those alone didn’t define my curls - I think it was the styling gel. Looks like 3 ounces is $9 for each so I’ll skip it. http://www.devacurl.com/

Hask Argan Oil from Morocco Repairing Shampoo and Conditioner: I got sample packets of these on two separate occasions and loved them both times. Not really sure if they repaired anything but they smell so yummy. Like fresh oranges! $6 for 12 ounces? Yes, please! http://haskbeauty.com/brand/argan

Giovanni 2 Chic Blackberry and Coconut Oil Hair Serum: This was another sample from Ulta and though I don’t get any blackberry from it, it smells like heaven, if heaven was filled with sweet coconuts. The oil really helps smooth the frizziness in my hair but be careful. If you use too much (for me that’s more than the size of an aspirin) your hair will look greasy. I’ve already purchased the full size (2.75 ounces for $8). http://giovannicosmetics.com/index.asp

Marc Anthony Oil of Morocco Hair Spray: LOVE this stuff. It’s lightweight but feels like it gives me enough control over my hair style (you know, what little styling I actually do with my mop). Smells fantastic. Already repurchased the travel size and the regular 8.8 ounce can ($9 at Ulta, sometimes $7 at Walgreens). You can’t buy it at their site but there’s a store locator option. http://www.marcanthony.com/buy.php

Next up: MAKE UP!!

Aveeno Ultra-Calming Makeup Wipes: Meh. They smell very nice but I don’t feel they removed my makeup all that well. Which doesn’t make me ultra-calm either. You can get them for about $7 at retailers all over but only if you want to.  http://www.aveeno.com/

It’s Skin Mangowhite Lip/Eye Makeup Remover Wipes: I loved these. They smell really nice and the cloths are super soft. They did a really good job of removing makeup, too. I got these in a 3B box so you’ll have to get them on-line at a Korean market or Ebay. I’ve seen prices between $5-$10.  http://www.yesstyle.com/en/its-skin-mangowhite-lip-eye-makeup-remover-tissue-15sheets/info.html/pid.1038944148

Vivito Dressin Solution Lip/Eye Makeup Remover: Not too happy with this one. It’s an oil based mixture that you need to shake before applying. The oil doesn’t bother me because those removers never pull at the skin around my eyes and hydrate while cleaning. But the bottle leaked when it arrived (in a Meme box) and it didn’t do that great of a job. Smelled nice though. Had a hard time finding their site for info. Don’t trust my conversion method but I think this goes for about $13 USD.  http://www.vivito.co.kr/shop/goods/goods_view.php?goodsno=30&category=003001

Benefit Porefessional Face Primer: I’ve only ever received teeny samples of this that are only good for one time use (and I got the samples twice and I STILL don’t know if it's any good). It seems like a formula that would work well for me and it didn’t break me out the two times I’ve used it. But I can’t really get a reading on its performance. And at $31 for .75 ounces I may never know. Since it’s not necessary to use a lot of product at once, I know many people buy the travel size for $10 (which I think you can only get at places like Ulta or Sephora - not at the Benefit store) and it lasts forever. So I might give that a shot someday. https://www.benefitcosmetics.com/

Physicians Formula Sexy Booster VaVaVoom Volumizing Mascara: I normally like most of PF mascaras. The ‘Organic’ line is not drying or harsh on my lashes, which are getting older and drier and a little more sparse. Great substitute for the discontinued Cover Girl Natureluxe mascara Though the packaging on this is gorgeous, the formula left a lot to be desired and the product dried up in just a few weeks. Lame. https://www.physiciansformula.com/en-us/default.html

Maybelline Master Precise Liquid Liner: Maybelline has been pissing me off lately. A lot of their products have been complete failures for me. Though I like the felt tip precision of this liner, it smudged and faded easily (damn my oily eyelids) and the pen dried up way too fast. Won’t be wasting $8 on this again.  http://www.maybelline.com/

There you have it. All the crap I went through over the past few months. Hope the mini reviews help some of you out. If not, well at least it’s not rattling around in my brain anymore. I’ll be back in a few months for another morgue drawer cleaning.

August Morgue Drawer Part 1 - Skin Care and Body

As I like to watch a lot of YouTube, pretty much every beauty gal (or guy) has what is called an “empties” video. Basically it’s a list and quick review of products they have used up during the month. One girl I watched called her container of empties her ‘cemetery’ and I love the idea. Since I don’t want to steal that, I’m calling my shoebox full of crap my ‘Morgue Drawer’.

I also don’t go through shit all that fast so I will probably only do these every few months. And because of that, I’ll have a ton of shit to go through at once. So for my first attempt, I’ll break up the reviews/lists into two posts: Skin Care and Body; Hair and MakeUp.

Sound good? Well, even if it doesn’t I’m doing it any way.

The largest portion of crap belongs in Skin Care. I buy most of this myself but a lot of it does come in free sample form from Ulta or Sephora. Great way to try stuff without committing, especially if it sucks ass or costs more than a great pair of heels. I’ve taken conglomerate pictures of the products because several contribute to one aspect (wrinkle treatments, hydrating, etc.) and I also don’t want to post dozens of pictures of tiny tubes or foil packets that’ll eat up all my damn memory.

First up for skin care: Face Lotions and Wash

H20+ Hydrating Treatment: Neither heard of nor tried this brand before. Nice little sample size so I got to use it for a while. It was all right. Smelled nice but I didn’t notice any great hydration going on. And all their stuff is pretty dang expensive so noooope. http://www.h2oplus.com/home.do

Derma e Night Creme: I love this stuff! It smells great and it was awesome in the winter. It can be pricey but not so bad that I’d never buy it again. The only reason I haven’t repurchased it yet is because I was a fucktard and bought a new night cream (based on how well a sample worked) that doesn’t really do jack shit in full size form. But I will buy it again. Oh, yes. I will.  http://dermae.com/?gclid=CM6K6a_3vccCFQ4paQodCt0M9w

Neutrogena Oil Free Moisturizer (SPF 15): I’ve been using this for years. It’s a nice lightweight lotion for the summer and I can double up in the winter, if I don’t have another thicker lotion to use. And since it has SPF, I don’t have to worry about whether or not my makeup has any. Score! http://www.neutrogena.com/home.do

First Aid Beauty Face Cleanser: I bought a sample pack of this from Ulta because I’d heard a lot of good things about it. It’s one of those fragrance free, no harsh chemicals or colors, nice for sensitive skin products. And I have to say I really enjoyed using it. I don’t remember getting a lot (if any) break outs during its trial. A 2 ounce tube is $10, though, so it’s a little pricey.  http://www.firstaidbeauty.com/categories/shop-by-product/cleansers-exfoliators-and-masks/facecleanser.html

Next up: Face Treatments (like anti-wrinkle or vitamins)

Strivectin-AR (Advanced Retinol) Night Treatment: I don’t subscribe to the idea that these ‘anti-wrinkle treatments’ do anything but smell nice or pump some extra moisture into your epidermis. But I’m pretty dang sure this shit did help with the small wrinkles around my eyes and some of the teeny stuff all over my face. So you can imagine how disappointing it was to discover that a 1.7 ounce tube is $100+. I mean, what the fuck? Are they high? Even if I could afford to spend that every month on wrinkle treatment ALONE, why in the name of all that is sacred would I do it? That’s like 10 Pop Vinyls I could add to my collection - and they won’t get used up! Fucking crazy people. http://www.strivectin.com/

Lancome Visionnaire Advanced Skin Corrector: It looks like that cardboard fold out would contain a large foil packet, right? Wrong. I MAYBE got 2 nights use out of this so I have no fucking idea if it does anything worthwhile. 2.5 ounces is $58 (and the smaller the size you buy, the more expensive it is. Huh?)  http://www.lancome-usa.com/

Garnier Ultra-Lift Miracle Sleeping Cream: These was even less in this foil packet than in the Lancome. So yeah, have no idea if it works. And I think it’s one of those products that you have to use for a few weeks before you can tell so thanks for nothing. I have a coupon, though. Maybe I’ll lose a few IQ points this month and pay $15 instead of $17 for a full 1.7 ounce size. http://www.garnierusa.com/

Urban Decay Vitamin-Infused Complexion Spray: I think this is supposed to be like a face primer and toner in one but with vitamins. I don’t know if it did anything but it smells nice. The pump sprayer decided it didn’t want to work without leaking all over me about halfway through this sample. And for $33 for the full size (4 ounces) I don’t think I’m going to give it another chance. http://www.urbandecay.com/

Next: Face Masks

Bio Republic Sheet Masks: I got these in my June Ipsy bag. The Green Tea Detox was ok. I don’t feel like it deed any toxes but it felt nice. The Aloe Rescue was good and my skin did feel nice afterwards. But the Cucumber Breeze was the best. Most sheet masks that claim ‘soothing’ or ‘pore minimizing/anti wrinkle’ seem to work very well. And this was no exception. Plus is smelled awesome. They are $5 each, which is a bit steep for a sheet mask, but I might splurge every now and again.  http://www.biorepublic.com/

Real Chemistry Luminous 3-Minute Peel: This was a sample of the first peel mask I’ve ever tried. IT WAS AWESOME. My skin had never felt so smooth before! It smelled like a spa so not perfumy (is that a word? it is now) or like artificial fruit. That said, however, a 1.7 ounce full size can cost between $40-$50 (depending on where you buy it). Um, no thanks. http://www.myrealchemistry.com/

Montagne Jeunesse Mud/Peel Masks: I’ve only ever seen these at Ulta and they’re just $2 a package (and I can get 2-3 uses from each) so I bought a handful to give them a try. The Mud Pac (anti stress) was meh and smelled like menthol. Passion Peel Off (deep cleanse, purify, protect) was okay. Smelled great though. Manuka Honey Peel Off (natural cleanser) was also okay. Smelled like straight up honey so if you don’t like that, don’t get this. But the Black Seaweed Peel Off (ultra deep cleaning) was awesome. The smell is a little odd but the product itself made my skin feel fantastic. I’ve already repurchased. They’re also cruelty free! http://www.my7thheaven.com/

And now for the body stuff (bow-chicka-BOW-WOW):

Secret Clear Gel Antiperspirant/Deodorant: Except for a few times where I got bored, I’ve always used Secret. Pretty basic stuff here but I like the clear gel formula. I think over time it can build up white crap on your clothes but overall, it does a good job for me. I like different scents and they all seem to work equally well.  http://secret.com/en-us

Skinfood Aloe Soothing Body Wash: I got this in the June 3B box. Though it seems to be a good travel size, I used it all up rather quickly. It also had little bits in it - like maybe they wanted to make it an exfoliant, too, but only had about 10 little beads to throw in. Weird. It smells great, though! I didn’t see it on their main site so you might have to buy it through Amazon or a Korean on-line market.  http://www.theskinfoodus.com/

Bath & Body Works Jasmine Vanilla Body Wash: HOLY MOTHER OF PEARL THIS STUFF SMELLS AMAZING. I pray to all the gods that ever existed this stuff is not limited edition. I need moar!!! If you can believe it, I got this 10 ounce bottle FOR FREE from B&BW when I bought some candles earlier this year. Nice! And for $13, it’s a great buy because it lasted for months.  http://www.bathandbodyworks.com/home/index.jsp

That's it for Part One. I'll probably type up the second list now but just have it auto publish in a few days. Why am I explaining that to you? Do I feel like you need to brace yourselves or something? Well, the categories ARE hair and makeup so yeah, it'll be awe inspiring I'm sure.

August Ipsy Bag - Review

Sorry I didn’t post a review for the July Ipsy bag. I was still really struggling with our dog’s death and didn’t feel the relevance of talking about make up. Don’t get me wrong. I love to get these things and talk about them but it just seemed so...frivolous last month. I’m still grieving over my boy and probably will be for a long time but I know I can’t stay in that sad hole forever or I’ll never be able to leave.

So slowly but surely I’m putting my fingers back to the keyboard to write (anything), working conventions, participating in life again. Besides, the new couch we got a few months ago is really starting to make my ass sore.

My August Ipsy bag arrived a few days ago. The theme is Prep School (who really cares? they should have the product info on the card instead of creating an irrelevant theme but whatevs) and though the bag is hideous - I’m not a houndstooth print kinda gal - the items inside are pretty sweet.

Yeah, this isn’t some pervy old man fantasy of schools girls at all.

Eco-Beauty Night Cream: I’ve used an Eco-Beauty face wash before (from another Ipsy bag). I loved that product so I have high hopes for this one. As soon as I work my way through a sample of the Neutrogena Hydro Gel cream, I’ll give this a shot! Sample is .5 fl oz (full size is 1.7 fl ounces for $40) which is probably around $13.

Albertini International Divine Skin Hydrator: Never heard of this but it’s an in-shower moisturizer. I’m excited to try it but I’m going to have to warn the hubby when I use it because it comes with a warning that it may make tub and shower surfaces slippery. Maybe I need to get some adhesive ducks...(Big Bang fans know what I mean). Sample is 1 ounce (full size is 9 ounces at $16) so this is about $1.75.

Doll 10 Beauty Hydrogel Cream Blush (Flirt): I do love me some cream blush. Most of them are super easy to blend and they are great for those low make-up days. Just slap some on and your days of being mistaken for one of the undead is over. At least for a few hours. This color is a soft deep peach shade. I can pull off the peach. But this is awfully close to orange/coral so a light hand is needed. I’ve worn it once already and it goes on so smooth and it looks like a natural flush of color. I’ve never heard of the brand but I’m impressed so far. This size is 3.15 grams (full size is 4 grams for $16) so I’d guess this is just about the same price, maybe $15.

Noyah All Natural Lipstick (Desert Rose) and Lord & Berry Ultimate Lipliner (Nude): Never heard of Noyah but I have heard of Lord & Berry. Never tried either. The lipstick (left swatch) looks a lot more like Barbie Pink on my lips but I like that it’s all natural, never tested on animals, and synthetic free. It feels creamy on first application but it does get a little dry. Not like a full matte but more of a satin finish. In case you can’t see the deets in the photo there is a promo code for this brand (15% off PLUS a free lip balm). Go to noyah.com and use code noyahROSES. Why the hell not, right? This sample is .04 ounces (full size, with much cuter packaging, is .16 ounces for $18) so what I got is about $4.50.

The lipliner will never be nude in my universe but it’s really creamy and goes on so smooth. It claims to be waterproof, highly blendable, and contains waterlily extracts and macadamia oil. I’m willing to play around with it (maybe I can dip back into that 90s look of super dark lip liner and frosty light lipstick....maybe not). Sample is .03 ounces (can’t find the full size amount on-line but they’re $18) so perhaps the sample is $12.

Overall I guesstimate this bag to be worth about $46 so for the $10 monthly cost, I made out like a bandit. All of these products will be used, some probably more than others, but I’m very happy with this month’s offerings!

3B Review - June 2015

This is only my second month of receiving the 3B Beauty Box (technically it comes in a pretty purple pouch but I nitpick) and I'm loving it. For those of you who may not know, and I don't see a lot of info or reviews on this, 3B is a monthly subscription service where you receive 4-5 samples - sometimes deluxe, sometimes full sized products - for $12. All the products come from Asia, mostly Korea. I pay for this with my own money and all reviews are my honest opinions!

I'm unclear on the total value of this bag because not all the samples are marked with amounts (i.e. ml, g, oz, etc.). But the makeup wipes and the blusher look full size and those two are worth about $12 so the bag is paid for with them!

The Skinfood Aloe Soothing Body Wash looks promising. I'm still working my way through a bottle of body wash from Bath and Body Works plus I have another one waiting in the wings so I'm not sure when I'll get to this. I might take it traveling. Yeah...that's it! Much easier and less messy than a bar of soap.

The It's Skin Mangowhite Lip & Eye Remover Tissue: I don't really want anything to REMOVE my lips and eyes but I think they mean 'lip and eye MAKEUP remover'. I'm almost done with some  wipes I got a while back so when I finish those, I'm definitely opening these babies up. I love make-up wipes. SOOOOO convenient!

The Etude House Precious Mineral BB Cream: In the swatch it might look a little on the yellow side but it seems to have enough cool tone underneath that it works great on me. It blends in so well that it almost looks like I don't have any product on my face. When I first tried it, I didn't set it with powder until later in the day. It does feel tacky until you do that (at least on my skin) and I used a Neutrogena face powder which worked great. I don't like heavy foundation or need a lot of coverage so BB and CC creams are really nice for me. I might be purchasing a full size of this in the future.

The A'Pieu Finger Blusher sounds so dirty, doesn't it? But it's a cream blush that you first put on your finger then smooth it out across your cheeks. The consistency is a cross between a mousse and liquid and it blends like a fucking DREAM! I got a soft peach color that looks so natural on me. I probably won't have to buy it again because I don't think I can get through this whole tube in my lifetime. It doesn't take much to get a nice soft color though I bet you can build it up to appear brighter if you want. They do have more colors...hmmm....

That's it. So far I'm in love with this service, and not just because I have some weird obsession with Asian culture. SHUT UP! This is a nice way to try out beauty and skin care products from across the 'other' pond. Why not check out 3B for yourself?